Man attacked by shark off popular Cape Cod beach

A sun-splashed day at the beach on Cape Cod was marred by a rare shark attack Monday, witnessed by horrified onlookers who saw a dorsal fin break the surface moments before the victim was bitten.

The man, who was in his forties, was body-surfing with another male who witnesses believe was his son at Ballston Beach in Truro, about one-third of a mile offshore when he was bitten on both legs, according to local reports. A surgeon who happened to be at the popular beach and witnessed the attack treated the man until an emergency crew arrived, according to Fox affiliate WFXT-TV.

The surgeon said he believed it was a bull shark, although the possibility remains that it could have been a great white, according to one expert, who noted a high population of seals in the area has attracted the fearsome predators.

“I’ve never seen bites like that.”

- Brian Davis, Truro fire chief

Several witnesses reported seeing the telltale fin skimming above the surface as the fish zeroed in on the man, who was taken to Cape Cod Hospital, then transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

“We were watching,” Walter Palmer of Philadelphia told the Cape Cod Times. “A very large black dorsal fin came up between the two of them. A lot of people saw it. They started swimming back. The son was calling for help. I’m not an expert on shark fish. It was not a seal.”